Maccabi Tel Aviv opened the 2026 playoff final in dominant fashion, beating Hapoel Tel Aviv 96-75 on Tuesday night in Game 1. The yellow-and-blues will try to take another step toward the championship when Game 2 is held Wednesday at 20:50 at Hapoel’s home court, Menora Hall.
Maccabi were pleased with the way they attacked from the start, building a double-digit lead early and preventing Hapoel from recovering for nearly 25 minutes. They did it with only eight rotation players, yet five of those eight scored in double figures. Iffe Lundberg added 9 points and 8 assists, while Jimmy Clark had 15 points before leaving late in the fourth quarter with cramps after falling to the floor.
Clark said afterward that he feels fine and should be ready for the next game, but Maccabi will still assess him before deciding whether to make a change and possibly dress Lonnie Walker or David Apiani instead. During that same sequence, Jalen Hord confronted an Hapoel fan who had made taunting hand gestures toward Clark. Maccabi coach Oded Kattash’s side hopes the incident ends there, amid anger from the red side over Maccabi players’ behavior.
Lundberg said after the win, “It was not an easy game at all. I did not expect such a result.” He added, “The next game will be completely different, we enjoy this win but it means nothing if we do not win the series.” He also said, “If you are not here to give 100% every second you are on the court, do not be in this sport.” Captain John DiBartolomeo also scored 15 points in 25 minutes, saying the result was important for confidence, while Zach Hankins called Maccabi’s defense “phenomenal.”
More than 2,000 seats were empty at the game, with fans citing high ticket prices. Maccabi hope the victory will boost demand for Game 3 on Sunday and fill the arena, and Hankins said the crowd was excellent and hopes to feel the same atmosphere again.
